Georgia University System Chancellor Hank Huckaby to retire Dec. 31

ATLANTA — University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby announced Wednesday that he will retire at the end of the year, USG officials said. The Board of Regents has appointed Steve Wrigley to serve as interim chancellor beginning Jan. 1.

As chancellor, Huckaby oversees Georgia’s 29 public colleges and universities that serve 318,164 students.

“Public higher education touches all aspects of our society. It is the fabric that holds us together and is an investment that pays dividends for life,” Huckaby said in the USG release. “The University System is one of the great strengths of Georgia, and I am grateful to have been able to serve with the faculty and staff who bring it to life every day to serve our students. The University System holds an incredibly bright future for the next generation.”

Huckaby has been chancellor since July 1, 2011, when USG had 35 institutions and a combined 298,510 students.

“Chancellor Huckaby has been a lifelong public servant to the state of Georgia, and public higher education has been his special calling,” Board of Regents Chairman Kessel Stelling said. “The Board and I express our sincere thanks and appreciation for all Hank has done to support the students, faculty, staff and everyone who will touch the University System for years to come.”

Wrigley is the executive vice chancellor of administration, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the System’s budget, facilities, Information Technology (IT) Services, human resources, legal affairs and strategic planning units.

“I am honored and humbled to serve the University System of Georgia in this new role and appreciate the Board’s confidence in me,” Wrigley said. “Each of our institutions plays a critical role in the University System, and I look forward to working with our faculty and staff in continuing to advance how we serve our students.”

Stelling said, “Ensuring the best, proven and most qualified leader serves as chancellor of the University System is a critical responsibility of the Board of Regents, and we will have a smooth, seamless transition with Steve Wrigley serving as interim chancellor.

“Steve has demonstrated proven, trusted leadership throughout his 18 years of service to the University System, clearly acting in the best interest of our institutions, students, faculty and staff. The Board has a full agenda ahead of us, and Hank, Steve and I will begin work immediately on the transition to keep our momentum.”

The USG listed a number of achievements made during Huckaby’s tenure:

— An increase in the number of graduates year-over-year: from 54,855 students in 2011 to 62,545 students in 2016, a 14 percent increase.

— The consolidation of USG institutions from 35 to 29, with savings reinvested into programs and expanded academic courses for students. The system is currently in the process of merging Albany State University and Darton State College in Albany. Consolidations completed to date, USG officials said, have redirected an estimated $19.6 million from administrative costs to student programs and support services.

— Launched a systemwide campus safety initiative in May 2015 that mandated system-led training and centralized the implementation and oversight of campus safety policies, procedures and requirements. Each institution is to have a campus safety committee for the 2016-17 academic year.

— Expanded the use of free textbooks to help keep costs down for students. USG officials estimate students saved $16.5 million in textbook costs during the 2015-16 academic year.

Before becoming chancellor, Huckaby was a teacher and administrator in the USG and also taught at private colleges and universities. He served in the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget, first as a senior policy coordinator and later as its director. Huckaby also has served as commissioner of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs and as the executive director of the Georgia Residential Finance Authority.

Huckaby represented Georgia House District 113 for the 2011 legislative session before being named chancellor. He is a board member of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education.

Huckaby also is active in the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO), the National Association of System Heads (NASH), and the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) and is on the Georgia-based Alliance of Education Agency Heads. He was inducted into the National Academy of Public Administration in November 2014.

Georgia Trend named Huckaby the 2015 Georgian of the Year, and Leadership Georgia awarded him the 2015 J.W. Fanning Award.

Huckaby serves as a trustee of Young Harris College, where he earned an associate’s degree. He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Georgia State University and continued his education through additional graduate studies at the University of Georgia.

He is active in the United Methodist Church and has held numerous positions at the parish, conference and national levels. Huckaby and his wife, Amy, have two grown children and six grandchildren.